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Liga Mundo Season 13
Liga Mundo Season 13 ran from January 12, 2012 to April 15, 2012 - with the regular season kicking off on the four-year anniversary of the founding date of the league. Olympique de Conques folded on January 9, 2012 just prior to the start of the season which saw a reduction of team from 25 to 24 and a return to a balanced schedule for all three divisions. In the final weeks of the season, three established clubs saw significant manager changes. On April 5, 2012, Folkvar was fired as manager of Pumas de Zacatecas by the club board. One week later, on April 13, 2012 at the conclusion of the season, MalcolmReynolds resigned as manager of Anfield Kopites FC after nine seasons with the club. After the club's worst-ever finish and facing relegation to the Segunda Liga, PremierApex was sacked on April 15, 2012 as manager of Atlético Luz Del Mar by the club board. Final Standings Regular Season Primera Liga Statistics Leaders All-Star Team Segunda Liga Statistics Leaders All-Star Team Tercera Liga Statistics Leaders All-Star Team Team of the Month Award Retirements & Departures *'1984 Duckies FC / Pumas de Zacatecas (June 30, 2008 to April 25, 2012)' 1984 Duckies FC, playing out of The Duck Pond in Lutherville and managed by DinendelDucky, joined Liga Mundo as an expansion team for Season 3. The Duckies were an immediate force in the Segunda Liga – and by the end of their second season they had achieved promotion to the Primera Liga. After their fourth season, in which they achieved a strong 4th-place finish (the club’s highest), they became a major player in the cups as they won the last league cup Copa Legada (replaced by the Copa Cato the following season) in Season 7 and captured the Copa Del Mar the following season. However, Season 9 saw the club hit hard times as DinendelDucky became an absentee manager – a surprising shock to many as he had been one of the most dedicated and active Segunda managers in Liga Mundo at the time; being a regular press contributor with his weekly Liga previews. Eventually, he was sacked and new management came onboard with Nordreich Liga manager Folkvar taking over the reigns of the club. He moved Duckies mid-season to a new home in Mexico’s Estadio Del Norte and renamed the club Pumas de Zacatecas. The new Pumas team was revitalized under Folvar’s expert guidance and during Season 11 and 12 it appeared the club was headed towards greatness once again. However, in a cruel accident of fate, league restructuring heading into Season 13 resulted in Pumas losing out on their promotion spot to the Primera Liga and soon afterwards, Folkvar disappeared from the club. After three months of absenteeism, he was finally fired as manager by the club executive on April 5, 2012 but it was too late to save the 11-season-old club. After playing out the remainder of Season 13 winless and without a manager, the Pumas finally closed their doors and folded 20 days later. The franchise produced 11 legendary hall-of-fame players: 7 inducted as Duckies and 4 as Pumas. The most prominent and famous members of the club were Hans-Arne Askehave (defender; 198 GP), the club leader with 40 career assists and the first legendary player from a non-Original 4 club in Season 8, and Shorash Rashmati (midfielder, 186 GP) who was one of the most dominant players during his tenure in the Segunda Liga – ending up on the team 2nd in career scoring with 70 points and 2nd in assists with 31. Rounding out the remaining Duckies legends were Karl Reimar Pedersen (midfielder; 178 GP), Cristóvão Boto (midfielder; 118 GP), Arvid Bynke Carlsen (defender; 160 GP), Claus Holten (goalkeeper; 114 G), and Elliot Goldberg (defender; 164 GP). In more recent seasons, the Pumas saw Kenny Mahony (forward; 132 GP), Albert Nyhavn (midfielder; 126), Valente Furado (forward; 119 GP) the club’s leading career scorer with 74 points and leading goal-scorer with 64 goals, and finally Yekta Demirok (defender; 100 GP) all earn places in the ranks of legendary players – with Demirok only managing to reach the hall-of-fame on the final day of Season 13 (and ultimately final match for the club). *'FC Jekerger (February 27, 2009 to April 25, 2012)' FC Jekerger joined Liga Mundo as an expansion team heading into Season 5. Founded and managed by Gunblade3214, the team quickly became a quiet powerhouse in the lower divisions as the team earnt a name for itself by winning back-to-back promotion and reaching the Primera Liga by its third season. FC Jekerger still holds the league record for the fastest promotion from Tercera to Primera – completed in just 28 games. Never regarded as one of the more glamorous nor popularly-followed teams (the team’s press office issued a grand total of 2 press releases during its three-year history), FC Jekerger was content to fly under everyone’s radar and simply play a solid, unremarkable brand of football to achieve steady results. After reaching the Primera Liga in Season 7, the team then bounced around with relegation-promotion-relegation between Primera and Segunda Liga for the next three seasons. Their highest achievements in Liga Mundo were two 8th-place finishes in the Primera Liga. An extended spell in the Segunda which followed then brought on inactivity and stagnation which set in by Season 12; ultimately Gunblade3214 was sacked by the club executive on January 12, 2012. DeNike, a newcomer to the league, then quickly came onboard as the new manager but just as quickly lost interest and the club found itself firmly entrenched in the basement, essentially managerless for its final six months and only managing to pick up 2 wins in the club’s last two seasons in the league. With Liga Mundo necessitating contraction to maintain 24 member clubs due to the addition of two expansion teams, lowly FC Jekerger was quietly and unceremoniously terminated by league authorities on April 25, 2012 – as characteristically unremarkable as the team had played during its nine seasons in Liga Mundo. The club produced 11 legendary hall-of-fame players – the most notable being 41-year-old goalkeeper Ronnie Argvík, believed to have been the oldest goalkeeper ever in Liga Mundo. Along with Argvík, who suited up for exactly 100 matches during his career, the rest of the FC Jekerger class included the offensive threat Martin Romano (midfielder; 179 GP, leading career scorer with 94 PTS and career assists leader with 57), Scottie Golden (defender; 168 GP), David Pruitt (defender; 141 GP), Donald Gilmore (defender; 138 GP), Mitch Theakston (forward; 127 GP), Shay Romero (defender; 114 GP), Edgar Preece (midfielder; 114 GP), Andre Maricón (forward; 107 GP), Carl-Fredrik Elestedt (midfielder; 105 GP), and Rodolphe Caudron (forward; 100 GP) – with Shay Romero, Martin Romano, Edgar Preece, and Rodolphe Caudron probably being the most well-known names amongst Liga Mundo fans. Dylan Frye was the leading goal-scorer with 39 goals in 84 matches. ]] Unless otherwise noted, the following players retired at the conclusion of the season: *'PremierApex / Cato Calderon' (Atlético Luz Del Mar) manager and founder of Liga Mundo, age 25 - Cato Calderon oversaw the foundation of football in Costa Libertad and it was his groundbreaking vision to see a professional football league in Cybernations "...adhering to the principles of tradition, prestige and professionalism", which inspired him to establish Liga Mundo in January 2008. For the next 13 seasons, he managed the outstanding Atlético Luz Del Mar club. As founder, Cato also held the position of Liga Mundo Commissioner (League Admin) from Season 1 until the midpoint of Season 8 when he resigned and relinquished to Bartnel Botha (Transvaal Springboks). On April 16, 2012, after a dismal campaign in Season 13 which saw Los Niños finish in last place in the Primera Liga and facing relegation, the club executive decided to fire him as manager. The following day, Atlético Luz Del Mar was taken over by new management and the club rebranded as Marseille FC. Since Season 8, the league's playoff championship cup, the Copa Cato, has been named after Cato Calderon in his honour and recognition of his tenure as Commissioner of Liga Mundo. *'Thurston Alderton' (Transvaal Springboks/Atlético Luz Del Mar) goalkeeper, age 37 - joined the team in the last half of Season 2 and secured the starting goaltending job by the following season. His best seasons were those from Season 4 until Season 8 during which he single-handedly led the team to the Liga Mundo championsip in Season 5. Alderton became known for his penalty-kick goalscoring ability and scored 6 goals during his career with the Springboks. He was named Primera All-Star goalkeeper in Season 5 and Season 7. Just after the midpoint of Season 11, at age 35 and the oldest player to have played with the club to date, Alderton was sold to Atlético Luz Del Mar for $780,000 on July 22, 2011. He played his final match for Transvaal the day before and at the time of his departure, he had played in 119 matches. His career save average was 69% and had an average of 26% on penalty kicks against him. Thurston Alderton is regarded by many fans to have been the greatest Springbok player during the club's first season-decade of existence. He played in 6 games (65% save average and 33% saves against penalties) as a back-up for Atlético Luz Del Mar; his final match in Liga Mundo during Season 12 on January 5, 2012 when he substituted in goal in a 5-0 loss against Guajolotes. He spent the whole of Season 13 as a substitute on the sidelines. He officially retired from Liga Mundo on April 14, 2012. *'Martinus Asaro' (Syracuse Salty Dogs) fullback, age 34 - played 100th match on January 30, 2012 but was released during the off-season that followed. He played in 107 matches and scored 4 goals and 7 assists. *'Des Bellamy' (Compostella Artois / Guajolotes) fullback, age 35 - joined the club in Season 8; Bellamy played in 99 matches over 6 seasons for the club. He was one of the iconic players of the transition between the Compostella Artois era and the Guajolotes era. Bellamy was Runningcow's second transfer acquisition after taking over Compostella Artois in the middle of Season 8, and he immediately became a fixture in the club's defense up until his final season, when he was part of a 5-player rotation that frequently split time in the backfield. Bellamy played an integral part of Guajolotes' domination of Tercera Liga in Season 9, when he was selected to the X11 Team in 13 out of 14 weeks, earning a spot on the Liga all star team. He was the leader of a defense that surrendered only two goals against Tercera opponents. As the team moved up the divisions and Des moved up in age, he became the emotional leader of a defense that was often full of young, sometimes volatile players. "He was always on an even keel, and he helped keep the other guys back there on an even keel," said Runningcow. "Even when they had a bad game or two, Des never let the defense panic." Those volatile young players have matured considerably, and the club has a promising defense going into Season 14, but Bellamy will surely be missed. Bellamy finished with 99 matches played, 13 points, 5 goals, 8 assists, 12 yellows, 0 reds all time. *'Bartnel Botha' (Transvaal Springboks) goalkeeper/playing manager, age 38 - has managed the Springboks since Season 1. Botha signed a player contract in the later half of Season 12 as the team neared relegation zone. He retired as an active player on January 19, 2012 after one match played in Season 13. *'Rodolphe Caudron' (FC Jekerger) forward, age 34 - he was sold on January 17, 2012 less than a week after he played in his 100th legendary match. *'Oran Heggarty' (Atlético Melloria) forward, age 35 - best seasons were his debut in Season 8 and Season 11. Heggarty was a veteran forward who played 75 matches in a six-season span. With his hard shot and prowess around the net, in 75 games played, he saw the net 29 times - good enough to depart the club 2nd in career goals scored and only behind the great Faride Salem. *'Gwyn Humphreys' (Atlético Melloria) midfielder, age 34 - best season was his debut in Season 8 and played in 95 matches over six seasons. More of a set-up player, Humphreys picked up 24 assists in his playing career which placed him 4th in career assists for Melloria. *'Jared Li' (Swamplandia Sinners) fullback, age 36 - joined the club in Season 4. He was released by the club on January 24, 2012. At the time of his departure, Li was third in club records for matches played (147) with Swamplandia Sinners. He played his 100th legendary match on played 100th match during Season 9 on November 18, 2010. *'Adan Orozco' (Estrella Roja) fullback, age 35 - he joined the club in Season 4. Orozco played 117 matches during his career - although only 3 in his final two seasons. His 100th legendary match came during Season 10 on March 24, 2011. *'Brent Phillips' (Debate Land Orators) fullback, age 32 - he was sold on March 31, 2012 for $300,048 and departed the club after 91 matches played in Liga Mundo. *'Edgar Preece' (FC Jekerger) midfielder, age 36 - joined in Season 7, his best season was Season 8 when he played 30 matches in one season. He was released by the club on January 13, 2012 after 114 career games played. Preece played in his 100th legendary match on August 4, 2011 during Season 11. *'Bill Renton' (Anfield Kopities FC) fullback, age 32 - joined in Season 4 when he was signed by Clyde Albion. An intelligent all-round player, Renton's best campaigns were Seasons 4 and 7. He played 128 games for Clyde Albion, A.M. Adepts FC, and Anfield Kopites FC - finishing 7th in career matches for the franchise. His 100th legendary match came with A.M. Adepts during Season 9 on December 16, 2010. *'Christian Spears' (FC Jekerger) midfielder, age 31 - joined Season 5, his best season was Season 6 but subsequently saw his playing time reduced to substitute duty playing in only 14 matches in the following six seasons. *'Merco van Kapel' (Guajolotes) midfield, age 34 - joined the club in Season 9 and played 102 matches in five seasons with the club; he scored 21 goals and 14 points for Guajolotes and finished his career 6th in career goals. Van Kapel played in his 100th legendary match during Season 13 on March 26, 2012. He was acquired in the offseason prior to Season 9, the club's first as Guajolotes. He quickly became, as one teammate put it, "Hamilton Verger's sidekick." Though he never quite put up the numbers that Verger did, van Kapel was always a stealthy scoring threat when in the lineup, giving opponents something to think about in the back of their minds as they tried to corral the club's more notable offensive threats. The sidekick description really is apt, as the two were a dynamic duo for Guajolotes as they marched toward the Primera, terrorizing midfields all through Tercera and Segunda. The duo got less dominant as they aged and competition got tougher with promotion, but they never stopped being a threat. "VK" was known more for his 1980s-style mustache than for his dominance on the field, but teams throughout Liga Mundo knew they could ignore him (and his mustache) at their peril. He was always a threat to produce in the midfield. This consistent production over 5 seasons left him in the top 10 all time for the club in every offensive category. He may never have been a household name, but he definitely earned his status as a legend with the club. Van Kapel finished with 102 matches played, 41 points, 21 goals, 20 assists, 6 yellows, 0 reds all time. * Martin Romano (midfielder; 179 GP) age 31; Scottie Golden (fullback; 168 GP) age 30; David Pruitt (fullback; 141 GP) age 34; Donald Gilmore (fullback; 138 GP), age 35; Mitch Theakston (forward; 127 GP), 36; and Andre Maricón (forward; 107 GP) all retired from Liga Mundo on April 25, 2012 when FC Jekerger folded *'Hans-Arne Askehave' (fullback; 198 GP); Shorash Rashmati (midfielder; 186 GP); Karl Reimar Pedersen (midfielder; 178; Elliot Goldberg (fullback; 164 GP); Arvid Bynke Carlsen (fullback; 160 GP); Kenny Mahony (forward; 132 GP); Albert Nyhavn (midfielder; 126 GP); Valente Furado (forward; 119 GP); Yekta Demirok (fullback; 100 GP); Cuatemoc Aguilar (midfielder; 80 GP); Javier Ixpata (fullback; 70 GP); Viggo Lauridsen (goalkeeper; 68 GP); Doroteo Arriaga (midfielder; 64 GP); Carlos Di Victoria (fullback; 62 GP); and Andres de Leon (forward; 57 GP) all retired from Liga Mundo on April 25, 2012 when Pumas de Zacatecas folded League MVP Michael Pitts of the VolNation Volunteers has been voted the Liga Mundo MVP for Season 13. He picked up 60% of the ballots cast by Liga managers. Pitts helped lead the Volunteers during the course of a perfect 1st-place season to the championship double. He also led the Primera for points, assists, and X11 selections and ended up tied in 3rd for goals. All-Liga Mundo All-Star Team Manager of the Season Manager Mudbug of Swamplandia Sinners picked up his fourth Liga Mundo Manager of the Season award after being the clear, runaway leader in this seasons Manager X11 rankings with 24 points; his closest challenger being Runningcow (Guajolotes) with 9 points. Most surprisingly, Reichlep, the manager of the champion VolNation Volunteers, did not register a single point during the season despite maintaining a perfect first-place finish from start to finish - only the second time that feat has been accomplished (Transvaal Springboks did so when they won the title in Season 5). The award rankings are based on point totals accumulated during the regular season for each round of matches. Primera managers earn 3 points per X11 Manager selection, Segunda managers 2 points, and Tercera managers 1 point. FINAL MANAGER RANKINGS *MudBug (Swamplandia Sinners) = 24 *Runningcow (Guajolotes) = 9 *Arcadian_Empire (Arcadia FC) = 8 *St6mm (Dynamo Dorpat) = 8 *Cyphon88 (Templar Forsworn) = 8 *CodFCS (Ocean’s Gold) = 5 *Afrey22 (Firedog SC) = 5 *Botha (Transvaal Springboks) = 3 *MalcolmReynolds (Anfield Kopites FC) = 3 *BaronZemo (Nordheim Badgers FC) = 3 *Firewater (Debate Land Orators) = 2 *Wwwilliewigham (Clachnacuddin) = 2 *Stingray11214 (RMI Armed Forces FC) = 2 *TecTimBoss (Dinamo FC) = 1 *KingChris (Vanderbilt Commodores) = 1 Copa Cato VI First Round Matches played on January 23 and January 30, 2012 *Swamplandia Sinners defeated Vanderbilt Commodores (2-1; 6-0) *Atlético Luz Del Mar defeated Estrella Roja (3-0; 5-0) *Transvaal Springboks defeated De Bushalte FC (3-4; 4-2) *Debate Land Orators defeated RMI Armed Forces FC (1-3; 2-0) *Templar Forsworn defeated Dinamo FC (3-1; 1-0) *Clachnacuddin defeated FC Jekerger (3-2; 2-1) *Firedog SC defeated Atlético Melloria (1-2; 2-0) *Syracuse Salty Dogs defeated Ocean´s Gold (1-0; 0-0) Second Round Matches played on February 6 and February 13, 2012 *Guajolotes defeated Syracuse Salty Dogs (2-0; 3-3) *Arcadia FC defeated Firedog SC (3-3; 0-0) *VolNation Volunteers defeated Clachnacuddin (2-2; 1-1) *Dynamo Dorpat defeated Templar Forsworn (3-1; 2-0) *Debate Land Orators defeated Anfield Kopites FC (1-0; 2-2) *Nordheim Badgers FC defeated Transvaal Springboks (2-3; 3-0) *Atlético Luz Del Mar defeated Keville United FC (4-2; 1-1) *Swamplandia Sinners defeated Pumas de Zacatecas (6-0; 0-1) Quarter-Finals *Guajolotes defeated Swamplandia Sinners (0-1; 2-0) *Atlético Luz Del Mar defeated Arcadia FC (1-0; 1-2) *VolNation Volunteers defeated Nordheim Badgers FC (0-0; 2-0) *Dynamo Dorpat defeated Debate Land Orators (3-1; 4-1) Semi-Finals Matches played on March 5 and March 12, 2012 *Guajolotes defeated Dynamo Dorpat (2-3; 3-1) *VolNation Volunteers defeated Atlético Luz Del Mar (3-1; 3-2) Copa Cato VI Finals Matches played on March 19 and March 26, 2012 *VolNation Volunteers defeated Guajolotes (3-1; 0-0) MARCH 28, 2012 - VolNation Takes Copa Cato VI After a four season respite, the VolNation Mighty Volunteers emerged victorious in their quest to capture the Copa Cato. In the Copa Cato II, the Mighty Vols completed a successful campaign to take the Cup in a very hard way, drawing Anfield Kopites FC twice in the final and winning the Copa Cato via tiebreak. This season, the Mighty Vols faced off against the defending Copa Cato champions Guajolotes, and in the home leg took the win 3-1 off of an impressive 3 point performance by midfielder Kayode Giwa. That goal away given up was the focus of much consternation for this last week in preperation for the away leg, as Guajolotes has shown they could both shut down the VolNation offense and put up points against the Mighty Vols. This was evidenced by their last meeting in the Copa Cato III, where Guajolotes bounced out the Mighty Vols off a stunning 4-1 win at New Kauai Athletic Park. Thus, the debate in the press was whether to try to put goals on the board and test to see if Guajolotes could win a high-scoring match, or to pack it in and keep Guajolotes from scoring 2. In seasons past, that discussion would have been moot, as VolNation keeper Christopher Rojas could be counted on to do that virtually single-handedly. This season, his play has been more "normal", which accounted for the heated discussion of whether the VolNation defense could get it done. When the Mighty Vols came out in a 4-4-2 to counter the Guajolotes 3-5-2, it was still unsure which direction the VolNation thrust might be, though it was clear that Guajolotes wanted to run up the score. With Guajolotes dominating possession of the ball, it became clear that like it or not, it would have to be the VolNation defense that would have to save the day. However, it was the defensive line that almost blew it big again. Only minutes after foiling Guajolotes talented young forward Marcial Ozores on a lob attempt off a breakaway, the defensive line almost gave it right back as centerback Johnny Gilliam attempt to head clear a cross went badly wrong...again! As the ball dipped toward the goal, immediately everyone watching remembered that 2 of the Mighty Vols 3 losses this season were directly the result of the own goal, one against Guajolotes the last time they played here. This time was different as the ball clanged off the crossbar and out of play and a serious threat was averted. The second half saw the Mighty Vols taking some opportunities in counterattack, but the breakaways by midfielder Nathaniel Reichle, Ian Robertson and Chad Goodwin were all turned aside. All knew that the real action would be on the VolNation side of the field. Ozores would get two more good cracks at the ball, but his aim from distance was off, and left midfielder Hamilton Verger's lone header went high, but this was all that the Mighty Vols defense would give Guajolotes. Thus ended a very tense 0-0 draw and a very happy VolNation team hoisted the Copa Cato VI trophy in celebration! This is the first time that a reigning Liga Mundo champion has followed up with a cup victory since the Templar Forsworn pulled off that remarkable feat in Season 11 in the Copa Del Mar. However, the Mighty Vols now turn their sights on a bigger prize: a repeat victory as the Liga champions. If the Mighty Vols can finish off strong and hold onto their 2 point lead, this VolNation club could equal two more remarkable feats: being the first club to win both the cup tournament and the league championship in the same season since the Mighty Vols did it in Season 3, and being the first club to repeat as champions since VolNation completed a back-to-back-to-back in the first three seasons. The road to this will not be in any way easy, as the Mighty Vols first have to get past Anfield Kopites FC, then win a road match against the Transvaal Springboks where the Mighty Vols have always had problems, then end up away against a Syracuse Salty Dogs club most likely battling to escape relegation. While not the easy lineup one would hope to see on the end of a difficult journey, Coach Philip says it really doesn't matter. "Look, everyone plays everyone else twice. Whether it is at the beginning, middle or end, you simply have to win your games if you are going to be great. If this club wants to go down in the annals of history as one of the greatest Liga clubs ever, they will have to earn it, because I don't see anyone volunteering to give it to them on a silver platter." Press Releases & Previews APRIL 8, 2012 - So Close, So Far Volnation, double titles just out of reach for Guajolotes Season 13 has been a bittersweet one for Guajolotes. A lot has gone right for the team in their 3rd season in Primera Liga. Clearly, they have arrived as one of the top teams in Liga Mundo. Last season, when they earned their first cup title in Copa Cato V and finished second in the Primera, they exceeded the expectations of almost everyone, and made a case as a serious contender. Still, there was speculation among some Liga watchers that the season was a fluke, that they simply were hot at the right time. This season showed that the last was no fluke. Guajolotes got back to the cup final again, and sit in second place in the Primera with one week to go. But for all that, they might as well be in the middle of the table. One very serious obstacle has stood in the way of Guajolotes and the hardware. The VolNation Volunteers. The Vols have been nearly unstoppable this season, pulling off the impressive feat of winning the cup and the Liga title, a feat not accomplished since season 3, by who else but VolNation. A few weeks after defeating Guajolotes 3-1, 0-0 in the cup final, VolNation the Liga title after beating Transvaal Springboks in the penultimate week of Liga play and extending their lead to 4 points. Clearly, the better team came out on top, with the 1-2-1 record between the teams and the 20-9 gap in goal differential telling most of the story. After two consecutive seasons of important matches between the two teams, we may be seeing the nascent stages of a rivalry. It may never build up the charm of the Rumble in the Jungle, but their matches always seem to bring drama to the table. Or, we could be seeing a flash in the pan by an upstart team. Some have speculated that this is a peak year for Guajolotes, and a look at their roster does not disprove that suggestion. Des Bellamy and Merco van Kapel are both retiring at the end of the season, the core of the Guajolotes midfield is aging, and the young forwards have yet to live up to expectations. There may be a few down years ahead, unless Runningcow and the Guajolotes front office can make something happen with personnel in the offseason. APRIL 8, 2012 - Former LM player finds new home Icelandic national player and former Liga Mundo stalwart forward, Bjarkí Þór Ingi, has been signed by Manager Bartnel Botha’s new Icelandic club in the Grand Lodge League. Bjarkí, the 26-year-old forward who played 89 matches in Liga Mundo, departed two seasons ago when he was sold for over three million dollars. At the time of his departure, Ingi was fifth in career points (34), second in career goals (31), and third in career matches with the Compostella Artois / Guajolotes franchise. However, when Bartnel Botha laid the foundations for his new Reykjavík club in the GLL, he tracked down the now-retired Icelander, who was found working on a fishing trawler, and managed to talk the forward out of retirement. “I was always a huge fan of Bjarkí Þór Ingi and if I had known Guajolotes were shopping him around at that time, I would have loved to have signed him for Transvaal Springboks.” “However, now with this new Viking club being formed in the Grand Lodge, I knew that no Icelandic club of mine would be complete without the greatest Icelander to have played in Liga Mundo. The kid should be playing football, not gutting fish...” APRIL 16, 2012 - Remembering The Greatest Liga Team With this last season in the books and the current VolNation team falling short of equalling or surpassing the feat of the Greatest Liga Team, the Season 3 VolNation squad, it is good to remember that amazing team and some of its accomplishments. While we know that the Season 3 team won both the regular season title and the cup tournament of that season, the feat actually goes beyond that. The two greatest runs so far in Liga history have been VolNation's three titles in a row and 5 cups in a row. The Season 3 team was at the convergence of those two feats. Up to that time, the Mighty Volunteers knew how to dominate over the long haul, outlasting runs by ALDM, Arcadia FC, and Transvaal Springboks, among others. What they didn't know was how to put it all together in a back-to-back setup. This team was finally able to connect a great defense with a formidable front line and a stopper of a keeper, and in doing so started a saying that lasts until today: "You can't beat VolNation in PK's". This team had it all, and showed it in compiling a 10-2-2 record (32 points) to go along with their cup title. Who was this club? Two of the most famous from this club are names still familiar today, the Dynamic Duo of forwards Ian Robertson and Chad Goodwin. These two are still #1 and #2 in goals and points all-time, and back then, they were in their heyday. Season 3 was Goodwin's turn to shine, as everyones default setting had been to mark Robertson, and Goodwin made them pay. Robertson would often contribute still on his penalties, as he took many and made them all (as he is 100% for his career). Assisiting these two speedsters was a veteran forward transfer, Leo van Pelt, who would also make his presence known with frequent scoring when he would make a spot start. While the forwards were clearly the darlings of the team, the midfield was very solid. Darnell Roberson was the biggest threat with his fantastic headers, and was always keeping pace with Robertson and Goodwin in the scoring department, giving the Mighty Vols a feared three-headed scoring monster. Joey Lehmann was the distributer, frequently in as playmaker, but if left unmarked, would remind you that his ability to score was almost as good as his passing. Dustin Conner was the enforcer of the club, and would often be the one reminding other players in his intimidating way that it was a poor idea to push the Mighty Vols around (He still leads the Mighty Vols in red cards all time). If that wasn't enough, transfer Zachary Great would make other teams pay with his proficiency at free kicking. In reserve was the veteran Sid McCormick, the assist leader of the 1st season and the one whom the transfer market is named, and the youngster Arthur Basso, who was just beginning to enter his own. The defense was top notch this season, led by legenday players Ross Stewart and Carleton Frazier. Veteran leadership was given by Kurt Rich, and the speedster transfer Giancarlo Calori would make sure that the breakaways that had doomed the cup runs of the earlier season were shut down. Taking notes on how a defense should operate were the young reserves Red Moreno and Johnny Gilliam. Season 3 was the season when two young keepers were added to the VolNation rolls: Nana Emedec and Christopher Rojas. Their mentor was the VolNation keeper of the day Oscar "The Penalty Killer" Sorgard, and he had one of his best seasons that year. It was Sorgard throughout his career that it was said his goal "was where penalties went to die" as he had a lifetime stop rate of over 50%. That season, however, was where the record and the legend was set in stone as Sorgard ran a streak during that season of 7 penalty stops in a row spanning 4 matches. Christopher Rojas still credits Sorgard with teaching him how to stop PK's. As the current season opens and the Mighty Vols prepare to defend all the hardware, people will ask if this VolNation club will be the one that betters that legendary club. While no one can tell at this point, they have some very big shoes worn by the Season 3 club if they plan to pull it off. Team Pages *Arcadia FC *Estrella Roja *Guajolotes *Transvaal Springboks Category:Liga Mundo Category:Sports Category:Soccer Category:United Cybernations Football Associations